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About Ben Tulfo
About Ben Tulfo Bienvenido “Ben” Teshiba Tulfo, famously known as BITAG, is a true blue investigative and broadcast journalist. He is at present the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of BITAG Media Unlimited Incorporated (BMUI). Ben went to an executive school abroad. He started early as a radio disc jockey after graduating high school. Ben then became a regular DJ during semestral and summer breaks in college. After graduating from college, Ben became a regular radio disc jockey of DWMM-FM and an advertising agency account executive for the station. This station changed its call sign to KY FM (1979 – 1985) to which Ben was one of the brains behind. In 1986, Ben left the station and sought greener pasture abroad. He went to the US immediately after the People Power Revolution in 1986. Year 1996 to 1999, Ben came back and became the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Innovative Technologies Unlimited at Tektite Building, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. Prior to his return to his loved profession, the broadcast media, Ben traveled a lot in Asia and the USA because of the nature of his job – marketing extrusion technology for the Philippine market. 1996 – Ben architect Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo on TV. He successfully manoeuvred the show to get into the grid of the TV network RPN-9. The show was hosted by his elder brother, Ramon Tulfo. Ben left a couple of months after the successful launch of the show. 1997 – Ben, the brain behind Philippine’s Most Wanted on TV. This show was patterned after America’s Most Wanted. Originally launched on PTV4, but eventually went into format evolution and expanded from TV to radio – DZXL. Ben co-hosted both on TV and radio with his brother, Raffy Tulfo. Philippine’s Most Wanted was a production of Emerald Media where Ben was initially the executive producer on its early stages. Ben stayed for a year and eventually left, leaving his brother Raffy going solo. 1998-2000 – Ben focused his time as the COO of INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES UNLIMITED. His major clients were FEEDMIX, UNIVERSAL ROBINA, PURINA, and IO BASIC. This job requires aggressive marketing of this expensive WENGER brand of high-end extruders from Kansas, USA and frequent clients visitations and lots of travelling in Asia and the USA. 2001 – Signalled the return of Ben in the media. He tried client media management. Eventually, Ben was offered the Editor-In-Chief position by an executive of MANILA STANDARD, and the brother of the defunct Manila Chronicle and publisher of Saksi Ngayon. Ben wrote his column for Saksi Ngayon. The owner of radio broadcasting network DZME and a sister of a congressman offered Ben a mid-morning slot for his Bahala si Tulfo. March 28, 2002 marks the birth of investigative documentary-reality television program, BITAG. Early morning on a Maundy Thursday, Ben created a masterpiece. Months later, Ben became a columnist for Pilipino Star Ngayon and Pang Masa, tabloid papers under the broadsheet Philippine Star. In July of 2005, UNTV Channel 37 owner Daniel Razon offered Ben to join UNTV and be one of their anchors. Since then, Ben became one of the hosts of the morning television show Pilipinas, Gising Ka Na Ba?. Immediately followed by Ben’s Bahala si Tulfo, live from 9 to 10:30 in the morning (after What's Up Doc? from 8 to 9 in the morning). The show was simulcasted at DZME radio. In 2006, Ben was joined by his brother Erwin at UNTV. To accommodate Erwin, Ben changed the title of the show to Tulfo Brothers: Bahala si Ben at Erwin. But Erwin left in June to join Isumbong Mo: Tulfo Brothers at RPN 9. Ben went solo again and changed the title to Bahala si Bitag. Year 2011, Ben Tulfo created another action-packed television program, this time set the US. Pinoy-US Cops, a documentary-reality law enforcement program, featured police officers with Filipino descent. The program was given a prime time slot at Aksyon TV Channel 41, TV5’s sister station. TV5 also offered Ben to co-anchor with his brothers Raffy and Erwin in the program T3. BITAG remained with IBC-13 and BITAG Live at UNTV in the morning. October of 2012, due to TV5’s financial constraint, Ben quickly returned his BITAG to IBC-13 and moved his Pinoy US Cops to PTV 4, but remained as talent-host for “T3″ with his brothers. March of 2013, Ben moved his daily morning show BITAG Live to 92.3 News FM, simulcast at Aksyon TV Channel 41 which airs 10 to 11 in the morning. In addition, Ben officially ended his contract with UNTV. Also, BITAG and Pinoy US Cops officially became syndicated TV programs. Never again would Ben entertain any exclusive contract for his BITAG and Pinoy US Cops from any national and international TV network. In 2014, Ben entered BITAG in a late night block acquisition contract with IBC 13 every Friday 11:45 pm-12:30 am and Pinoy US Cops in a prime time block acquisition contract with People’s Television Network (PTV 4) every Saturday prime time 8:30-9 pm. January of 2016, BST Tri-Media Production became BITAG Media Unlimited Incorporated, duly registered at Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. April of 2016, TV5’s T3 folded up. It had a nice long run, but its demise came as no suprise considering its decline over the years. July of 2016, Ben produced BITAG Live Primetime, 8 to 8:30 in the evening, Manila time, live streamed for BITAG Live’s 220,000+ Facebook followers. In June 30, 2017, Ben left TV5 in sympathy for his brother Erwin, pulling his morning show BITAG Live out of Radyo5. August of 2017, BITAG Live found its new home in state-run PTV-4. Ben returned the program to its original television format, livestreamed at Facebook and simulcasted on Radyo Pilipinas 738 AM. December of 2017, in the eve of BMUI’s second corporate Christmas party, Ben announced his plan to transition from BMUI to BITAG Multimedia Network (BMN). January 15, 2018, Ben aired the first episode of Ben Tulfo Unfiltered on PTV 4. Its time slot is 6:00 – 6:30 pm, following Kilos Pronto. Ben Tulfo Unfiltered provides analysis and in-your-face interviews with controversial personalities. June of 2018, Ben moved his daily morning show BITAG Live to IBC News Network and DZTV Radyo Budyong 1386 which airs 10 to 11 in the morning. In addition, Ben officially ended his contract with PTV. January of 2019, BITAG Live found its new home in IBC 13, with livestreamed at Facebook and simulcasted on DZTV Radyo13 1386 and IBC News Network. As IBC News and Current Affairs’ content provider, the show will once again be seen in the sequestered TV network; this is the first time in the history of Philippine television that BITAG Live and BITAG: The New Generation are in the same station.